The creak of floorboards on the stairs told Elise they weren’t alone any longer, and she dropped a quick kiss into her sister’s hair.

“I promise,” Addy murmured.

Elise only hoped it was a promise she could keep.

Elise stared at the mash that Adelaide put on the table, the bowl more attractive than the food inside. Once the war was over, she would make a solemn vow to never, ever eat another Jerusalem artichoke in her life again. But for now, they were better than nothing.

“Sorry, I’ve salted the mash to make it bearable, but we don’t have a lot to go around.”

“It’ll be fine,” Cate said brightly, as the four of them sat down to eat. The curtains were drawn, the doors were locked, and so Harry had decided to join them downstairs. Jack was still in bed upstairs, but he’d demanded that Cate eat with them before bringing a meal up to him.

Elise could almost pretend that they had friends over, the chairs around their table almost full again for once, but it was impossible to look at Harry and not remember what danger he was in. Or what he’d lived through to be sitting across from her.

“We used to think Jerusalem artichokes were animal food, or just for poor people,” Elise told Cate and Harry. “But now they’re one of the only things we can supplement our rations with.”

“Other than the black market,” Addy said as she served the mash for everyone. “Just don’t eat too much or it’ll give you a sore stomach.”

Cate nodded solemnly, which made Addy laugh.

“As in it’ll make you very gassy,” Addy whispered, to which Cate finally erupted into laughter, although Elise noticed Harry never so much as cracked a smile.

“I think we all understood,” Elise said. “But this stew will brighten up the plates a little.”

She ladled a couple of small spoonfuls each into their bowls, tiny bits of meat and mostly carrot swimming in the dark liquid. They always had a pot of soup bubbling away; they kept it on the stove and added to it all the time, and although she’d have preferred big chunks of meat, with a fresh baguette to mop up the leftovers, it was still tasty.

“Is someone going to explain to me what the hell happened today?” Harry asked.

Adelaide shot Elise a quick glance, but Elise didn’t say anything, deciding her sister could take the lead. She’d made it clear she wasn’t a child and wanted to make her own decisions, so for once she was going to let her.

“I, ah, I went for a walk,” Adelaide said as she sat down and picked up her spoon. “He doesn’t suspect anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”